Location of travel. Not a good experience with room staff that took an item from the room, Onboard shops pushy, harassing and unethical. Food was average and allowed many people on excursions and onboard move around the ship that were sick in lite of the Corona Virus issue. Almost on a daily basis, I was standing in a food line while someone was sneezing, on a bus or tender coughing and sneezing, in the upscale dining room a few nights and still the same. In the upscale restaurant brought the wrong order or forgot to bring an item requested on the menu. The wine steward many times dripped wine on the table, and try to upsell a wine that I can get at home which a low grade of wine. The wine tasting had a collection of really cheap wines that you can easily find at a big box store. The person at the dessert counter when seeing a line of people was very rude a short with every customer request. This was the worst cruise experience I though you always get what you paid for but in this case, you will pay more and get less One last item would be the fitness center trying to push a product that you can get a lot cheaper at home. Read Less

We were on the Eurodam from San Diego - 3/1 - 18/20 to Hawaii. This was during the Grand Princess from Hawaii to San Francisco, that docked finally in Oakland. We were all concerned about corona virus positive crew or passenger(s) being on board our ship. The Captain gave us daily updates, changes in hand sanitizer use, cleaning, food being served only in buffet, etc. and lack corona cases. Passengers were generally good about hand sanitizer use, but not about covering up when coughing, and no social distancing was recommended or followed. No special procedures (other than filling out the standard CDC form) were followed at ports, or embarcing/disembarcing/customs (no temperatures taken, medical interviews or recommendations of the use of masks or gloves). On the last night of the cruise, a note was slipped under our door advising the CDC had notified HAL Medical Officer that a passenger on the previous Eurodam cruise had tested positive for COVID-19. We have not had any COVID-19 symptoms. We live in Northern California, and were under shelter in place on 3/18/20. We'd love to hear other passengers experiences upon return from the cruise. Read Less

I have cruised many times, with Celebrity as well as some other cruise lines. I had heard some good reports about Holland America, and liked the itinerary of this cruise, so I decided to give it a try. First morning we went up to the gym, and I couldn't believe how small it was. Half of the 10 treadmills were broken, with signs on them saying not to use them. With the remaining ones that were functioning, most of the screens didn't work, or the phone jacks were broken, or the elevation didn't work. They only had a few Elliptical machines, and stationary bikes. There were several spin bikes, that were tied up, and kept only for the $15.00 classes. There were 2 trainers in the gym, who were very unfriendly, and completely unconcerned that the equipment was not working. The entertainment on the ship was non-existent, I am used to having destination speakers on board, as well as a production company, doing amazing Broadway shows. None of these were on-board. There was a very average comedian, and a Karen Carpenter imitator. The America Test Kitchen was closed on the first half of the voyage. They opened it on the 2nd leg, and it was standing room only, because everyone was so starved for entertainment. Trivia was the highlight of the cruise, and got bigger everyday. The junior cruise directors who ran it were excellent. The cruise director was the worst I have ever encountered. She gave an 11 minute talk on the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, she told us that she had been there on a holiday, and showed us a video from her phone. The video kept freezing, nothing about the history of the tattoo etc. She could have done a search on her computer, and put up a good video, and made at least a 30 minute presentation out of it. It was possibly the most amateur talk I have ever heard. She was definitely not a presence on the ship. The Remembrance Day ceremony left a lot to be desired. It was very short, and did not pay much of a tribute to the vast number of Veterans that were on board. The food and service in the dining room was very good, the steak and lobster at the finale dinner was very disappointing, with rubber lobster, but I was impressed with the waiters, who were very attentive, and willing to get you anything you wanted. The Lido market was also very crowded with wheelchairs and walkers, and very slow moving elderly patrons. I had heard that the passengers on the Holland America line were older than most cruise lines, but I was not prepared for the number of wheelchairs and walkers and extremely elderly passengers that were on board. The tenders in Lahina, and Kailua-Kona, were very scary. They need to screen some of the very elderly and immobile passengers, who should not be getting on Tenders. It's very disturbing to see people getting injured, and breaking bones, they should be screened and not allowed on the tenders. Having cruised many times with Celebrity, I could not help comparing the extreme lack of activities and lectures on Holland America. Read Less

Choose this cruise to commemorate our 65th wedding anniversary & My 90 birthday. Boarded the Oosterdam Nov.6th. Nov. 9th severe coughing, Nov.14th after ships doctor did two tests said I had Bronchitis & bacteria infection & a bill for $227,08. Disembarked ship Nov.23rd @9am, by late afternoon Nov.23rd after being transferred by ambulance Doctors @ Highline hospital I.C.U. ward diagnosed me as having Sepsis Pnuemonia & Bacteria infection. While on this cruise my wife, son Michael & daughter inlaw Jo-ann also experienced coughing & sickness. Apart from our illness we found this an boring & uninteresting cruise, food was pretty much the same. The only time my wife & I were able to leave the ship was in Honolulu, just too ill the rest of the time.Holland America declined our request for some form of reimbursement, but did say they were sorry that I was unwell during the cruise,how compassionate can you get. Our first night in the dining room soup was served hot one hour & 15mins. later our dinner arrived stone cold, we ate in the Lido for the rest of the cruise.Music for dancing was hard to find nothing in the Crows nest or the Ocean bar long time favourites in past years,acts in the show room far below usual standards. the only thing for us to be positive about was the CREW as always, hard to beat. Read Less

I've been to Hawaii RT 6 times and this was the worst for activities and on any cruise ever taken as well and that numbers about 40. There was no Hawaiian enrichment speaker unlike last year. No guest speakers. NO COOKING CLASSES on way over. No singers\dancers until the return. Etc etc. Everyone was complaining and one lady canceled two future HAL cruises. Finally in Hawaii HAL got the word and things got better. Then on 2nd to last night the main stage dance group was postponed due to a "rocky" sea, but as this announcement was made, I could see 80 year olds walking around on walkers and canes. So the show was on the last night and HAL won't have to pay for the traditional Mexican folkloric dance group in Ensanada. AND frankly, I just took a HAL cruise panama canal one and it was much the same. Guest speakers cost only a room. Many activities such as trivia, ship talks etc don't cost anything. There seems to be a problem in a lackluster management. I just booked a three cabin family vacation on Princess rather than with HAL. Food was fine. Service was great. Piano bar and Lincoln Center were great. I don't plan on cruising with HAL again until I hear that these things are corrected. Read Less

This cruise has several cons. Too many days at sea ( 12 ) which would be ok except the ship had a very poor entertainment program. The evening shows on the first leg were poor quality, better on the return leg, but still not great. The daytime presentations were uninteresting to most, spotty in number, - who wants to do towel folding, teeth whitening, sarong tying? The days at sea were boring, other than Trivial pursuit. The return leg offered Test Kitchen, a big hit, as there was little else during the day. They need to organize some decent lectures - not just try to sell us on other HA cruises! and jewelry, spa packages! Warning, this cruise has a great many elderly passengers, many in wheelchairs, walkers, and patience is a must. Its tough to be seated at dinner with a table of people in their 80's and 90's - many of whom cannot hear, and are not converse. Just a heads up. The Gym was a fallure. Of the 10 treadmills, 4 were " out of order " along with 2 elliptical, and of the remaining 4 had screens that did not work or only partially worked. We asked them to make the spin bikes available to offset this, but management did not do that. The spin bikes remained locked up until spin class ( you pay for that - and we observed two classes with one only participant) Many passengers just gave up on the gym, one morning I waited at 8 am behind 4 others, for a working treadmill. When you are captive on the boat this is unacceptable, and deck walking can be a challenge to substitute in wind and cold. Very under impressed with the facility and the absence of effort to remedy the problem. ( blamed on waiting for parts - ridiculous, the machines are old and should be just replaced) There is a safety issue in my opinion regarding boarding the Tenders for the shore visits. As an experienced Ferry captain, it is my opinion many of the senior and limited mobility passengers should not have been allowed on the tenders. The small exit area was blocked by wheelchairs, walkers and in one case a scooter. In the event of emergence ( there was quite a swell in Lahaina ) there is no question some of the passengers could not have climbed out, The crew boarding the Tenders let anyone on board. There should have been an officer present advising many of the elderly, hardly mobile, they would not be allowed to board. This is an accident waiting to happen. Pro's The cabin stewards, servers in the Dining Room, and Dining Room supervisors were first class. Food was good, although some dining room meals were not very appetizing or no one commented on the food being anything more than " good" or " ok" Just be aware! The stops in Hawaii made the cruise, as we could get off and do things. This particular cruise do to its duration at sea and lack of on board activity, would be better suited to very senior, limited mobility passengers. We heard many negative comments from people under the age of 75-80 and virtually unanimous dissatisfaction with the above issues. Read Less

It pains me to say this because in the past we have always loved HAL but this cruise fell so short of expectations that we have resolved never to sail with this line again. Some things remain the same - the friendliness of the crew and truly great fellow passengers - but almost everything else was wanting. The ship itself was in poor repair. There were broken windows, chipped paint, soiled carpets, rust and mold everywhere you looked. The entertainment was spotty. We enjoyed The Alley Cats, Savannah Jack, Brad Manuel, and Michael Regan - the rest, not so much. The Lincoln Center was always standing room only. BB Kings was too loud for most guests so it wasn't ever crowded. Billboard Onboard, on the other hand, was always crowded just because there wasn't anything else to do. But after the first four days the young men had used their entire catalog so we just listed to the same songs for the remainder of the 17 days. The activities were practically nonexistent. I counted the activities in one daily program. Out of the 67 activities listed 34 items were either sales pitches or paid activities. Out of the remaining 33 items most events did not take place. When an activity actually occurred it was packed because everyone was bored! The food in the MDR was generally good although the menu was limited. Our waiters were excellent and very attentive. The Lido was so so. Very repetitive and everything tasted the same no matter what station you chose from. The line servers, for the most part, were not friendly. Our cabin stewards were fabulous. Everything was always taken care of and the fellows were very friendly. The cabin (8037) itself had some minor issues such as mold and broken tiles in the bath and small holes in the cabin wall. If I hadn't brought a good fan from home the cabin would have been far too warm and the noise from whatever was next door would have been bothersome but it was drowned out by the white noise of the fan. Overall the cabin was serviceable. I know I have complained a lot but we did manage to have a good time and we will continue cruising, just not with HAL. Read Less

This is the second time we've taken this cruise. Our favorite ports are the small islands -- Dravuni, Fanning and Mystery Island. We rarely book an excursion, choosing instead to get off the ship and wander around or take a taxi. We like the Amsterdam even though it's evident that the new HAL President is cutting corners. Heard lots of grumbling on the ship about this. The Amsterdam Singers and Dancers were the best group we've ever seen on a HAL ship, but we were told that the corporation is getting rid of them. Sad. They were the only entertainers we regularly watched for all 51 days of the cruise. For a 51 day cruise there could have been more activities on sea days. We enjoy the library on the Amsterdam as do many others but hear the new ships don't have them. The computer classes look great, but so many of us have Macintosh computers, so we didn't see any sense in attending those. The food was very good. The staff is amazing, wonderful. Can't praise them enough! Read Less

We wanted to go to the South Pacific and a 51-day cruise with 26 ports returning to North America was the best option for us, a newly retired couple. was done as a back-to-back with the Incan Empires Cruise, so our embarkation was simple. Disembarkation was a little late in San Diego (about an hour), but it wasn't a problem for us. The Amsterdam is a wonderful ship in terms of size and layout. Even though the decor is dated, we like the elegance of the ship and the ample public spaces. You rarely feel crowded on the Amsterdam. However, there are numerous opportunities for upgrades. A single outlet isn't nearly enough for 2019 and no USB charging ports just doesn't make sense. The TV's are outdated and passengers don't have access to interactive TV services the way they do on the newer ships. The ice machine on the starboard side of the Lido hasn't been working for at least 6 month and creates a big bottleneck and inconvenience with times when there is no ice to be found. The cabin was perfectly adequate in terms of layout and storage space, as was the bathroom and bed. The biggest issues were in the bathroom where hastily repaired grouting in the shower fell out every time we used it and where the water temperature vacillated from cool to scalding all on its own. We also had a couple of episodes when water systems were disrupted. The Lido Market was great for breakfast and lunch with generally short lines except the pasta bar (which is understaffed) and the ice cream bar which just gets busy. The food quality is very good and you have the advantage of being able to see it before you order it (there is very little self-serve). Afternoon Tea is a wonderful, but underutilized service. We went whenever we could and the staff were amazing. Evening dining in the Main Dining Room was good, but not excellent. If you recognize something on the menu, you almost certainly won't recognize in on your plate or in your mouth. Not that the food is bad in any way, but it won't be prepared the way you are used to it. Seating is good, but reservations are recommended at popular time for Gala nights. Service is good to very good with the speed dependent on the number of people at the table. They should really reduce the number of large tables (8 persons plus) because no one likes them (too slow and very hard to have a conversation). Desserts are generally a disappointment and the ice cream in the dining room always has ice chips in it. The entertainment was variable, but generally good. The Amsterdam Singers and dancers were very good. It is just plain sad that they are being discontinued when they are the most consistently enjoyed presentations. I understand that they will have more of the other entertainers which range from bad to good with most being just fair. Too many acts that I would call "novelty" and too many comedians that are past their prime. Guest speakers were also variable, but mostly interesting. The EXC Coordinator did a good job of orienting the passengers to the many ports. The Excursions Manager was humorous in his descriptions, but not always accurate. We were disappointed in a few of the HAL excursions we took, but providing feedback is very hard and really not encouraged at all. The staff is the best thing. With few exceptions they are friendly, efficient and helpful. I feel sorry for them trying to provide a great experience while the head office keeps cutting resources and services. A part of many passenger conversations is the ceremonial listing of the ceremonial listing of things that have been taken away and how despite the hundreds of loyal HAL passengers, HAL corporate seems bound and determined to chase them away with a bad loyalty program and never-ending cutbacks. Sadly, the reputation that HAL has earned in the past will be very hard to rebuild once it is gone completely. It was a good choice for us, we probably won't be going on this cruise again. We just prefer to explore new terrritory. Read Less

We booked this cruise 2 weeks before sailing. The itinerary and price was too good to pass up. Leaving from San Diego was the perfect start of this 17 day cruise. Embarkation was a bit chaotic as a Disney ship was embarking at the same time. This caused an hour or more of standing in line and wait time. This was the perfect way to visit Hawaii. The 5 days on the Pacific crossing were warm and beautiful. Visiting the Hawaiian ports and being able to live and eat on the ship made it an economical vacation. Tenders were required for 2 ports and at Maui there was a 3 hour delay for disembarking. The food was wonderful and we had the same table in the dining room every night for anytime dining. The ship was a bit "tired" but the staff was exceptional. The first two nights there was loud pounding noises which prevented our sleep. We and others in nearby cabins called to complain. We discovered the noises stopped when someone placed rags in the balcony dividers below us. Some of the treadmills in the gym were non functioning. There was rust on the balcony and some of the carpets were needing updated. Even with all of this, we felt this was one of our favorite cruises. We saw dolphins and whales and lots of blue sky. We would definitely recommend this itinerary to anyone. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we have never been disappointed with HAL, and they continue to provide excellent service and MDR dining, which are the two areas that we scrutinize when cruising. The great service continues at most levels from room stewards to managerial staff, with a personal touch in knowing your name. Dining in the MDR has always been semi-gourmet, with small portions like very expensive restaurants, so order a side of steamed veggies. The buffet needs improvement, with more proteins and less carbohydrates. The entertainment is very limited on a seven day cruise, with only two production shows with dancers and no singers. The other activities (cooking class, classical music) can only seat thirty people. Huh?! Be ready to self-entertain while onboard. If you want to save money, book your shore excursions at the port or before the cruise. It is the classic case of a cheaper price for the same product. Embarkation and disembarkation went very well, and if you carry your luggage off the ship, you well get off at a early time. Read Less

Excellent service excellent vegetarian food good place to meet a lot of World Travelers. I enjoyed the Lincoln Center this time around I wish I had more great classical music or modern music on this ship line. I met some very nice people and in hindsight I wish I hadn't gotten Roberts information who I had High Tea with on October 13th 2019.Heathe Millard Fbk okay I have to add 65 more words I did meet one of the cruise critic's on the blog Gary he been on hundreds of cruises said he really enjoyed Holland one of his favorites I've been on Holland twice been on princess on going on Miracle Carnival January for my son's birthday. This is my second time doing the Holland America Riviera Cruise very easy to get on and off all ports for me I will be doing a 3 day cruise very soon now I have enough words Read Less

Myself and my travelling companion recently completed a cruise to Hawaii on the Eurodam (29 Sep - 15 Oct 2019). Our trip was the most disgusting travel experience we have ever had. Our confirmed request for a table for two in the Dining Room was a shared table for four. After a ten-minute argument with our waiter on the first night, 29 Sep, I was told that we would have a table for two for the night of 29 Sep but that I would have to confirm it for each use thereafter. This was not acceptable. I told him (waiter) that I had a confirmed reservation in writing and would accept no other eating arrangements. In short, I wanted nothing extra but only what I’d paid for. Our confirmed dining arrangements were only implemented after extensive argument with our waiter, a Dining Room front desk supervisor and finally a supervisor at Guest Services three days later. In total, I sent two meals back and complained about two others while eating in the Dining Room. A bowl of French Onion soup that was cold and worse had no onions was sent back and a steak that was served over cooked and tough was also sent back. The first and second meal complaints that were the final straws that caused us to decide to stop eating in the Dining Room and to take all of our remaining meals in the Lido Deck Cafeteria, that was when I was served Beef Wellington that had been contaminated with a 2 cm wooden twig that had an end sharp enough to pierce my gum. I reported this to my waiter who shrugged off my concerns and told me that the piece of wood was the spice saffron used in the preparation of my meal. I don’t believe that the contaminant (twig) was the spice saffron. The only thing I'm certain of is that the consumption of a meal should not cause you physical harm. My gum became inflamed after two days and I was forced to treat it topically with an antibiotic ointment that I had purchased at a CVS during one of our Hawaiian stops. The second meal complaint was from my companion (made by me to he Dining Room Maître D on her behalf) who had been served an overcooked and tough salmon steak. The Dining Room Maître D spoke with me two days prior to the end of our cruise to inquire as to why we had stopped eating in the Dining Room - once by phone and twice in person. During our final meeting, in the Lido Deck cafeteria, I showed him the contaminate and told him about the two times I had sent food back and my travelling companion’s complaint of an overcooked and tough salmon fillet she had had on the night I complained about the Beef Wellington contamination. She didn’t complain about her meal at the time it was served as she was concerned about us being labelled “complainers.” The Maître D attempted to enter into a process argument with me about who told what to whom. I would have none of it and told him that if the only complaint that he was aware of was the one concerning the French Onion soup, then he had an internal communication problem with his waiters: A problem which was not my responsibility to solve. I had issues with the quality and safety of the food served in the Eurodam Dinning Hall and promptly reported those concerns to my waiter. A simple purchase of some body lotion for my companion turned into a significant irritant. The purchase was made at the Spa on Deck 9 at a price of 49 USD. Upon leaving the spa desk area I was called back and told that the actual price was 42 USD. The clerk told me she had voided the 49 USD room charge and entered the new 42 USD cost. I asked her whether it would be advisable to have a posted price list for their products to assist passengers and staff in these purchases (something which they did not have). She made no response. Two days later I received a phone call at 8:30 a.m. from the spa telling me I had to go to Guest Services to sort out my body lotion purchase as they were unable to remove the original charge and enter the final charge to my account. I went to Guest Services at 9:00 a.m. on the same day and received nothing but blank looks and process arguments. I demanded to speak to the same Guest Services Supervisor I had spoken to before and once she was made available, I told her the problem and asked her to sort it out. Two days later, the correct charge of 42 dollars USD for the body lotion purchase had been posted to my account. Guest services was difficult to deal with. I had to continuously shut down spurious excuses: Dining Arrangements, "We have 3000 passengers so you'll just have to accept it."; Mold infested bathroom, "We have 3000 passengers and when we can get to you, we will”. The arrogant, condescending and cavalier attitude of your Guest Services is something I've never seen before in any of my travels. I have traveled all over the world both as a former soldier and as a retired vacationer. I have never had such a frustrating and disgusting travel experience. My final Account Statement showed a credit of $49.70 USD which has yet to be applied to my credit Card. I have no confidence that it ever will be. Read Less

We were booked on the first leg of this voyage, 16 nights to Hawaii, roundtrip from Vancouver. We have done this itinerary three or four times, but previously with Princess. We are fairly experienced cruisers. I think this was our 25th cruise, with various cruise lines. We have tried HAL before. I suspect the issues we had are specific to this ship, not to HAL generally. Pros: The staff are wonderful and hard working. There were many older passengers and many of them had mobility devices. The staff would fold up their walkers for them and tuck them away and then magically reappear to set them back up for them and place them nearby. I have never seen such service. The ship is older, but is in good shape, is attractive and clean at all times. On our particular sailing, the sea conditions and weather were picture perfect. Our days in port in Hawaii were delightful, although for me personally, I didn't particularly benefit from the overnight stay in Honolulu, as the evening entertainment was almost nothing that night. So if you stayed on board, there was little to do. The young classical music performers in the Lincoln Sound Stage were excellent, and their performances were incredibly popular. They need to move them to the Main Stage. The venue they have them play in, is way too small. People stood, lining the halls, as chairs quickly filled up. Cons: My goodness they have cut back on the evening entertainment. They have six talented dancers, but no vocalists, so no Broadway style shows. The dancers did two or three shows in the 16 night sailing. Other evenings were devoted to a magician, a female singer and a man who sang and played the trumpet. The trumpet playing fellow introduced a familiar song but when he played it, it was unrecognizable. He had changed the musical arrangement so much, I couldn't tell what it was. Odd. I have never had a problem with food on a cruise ship. Ever. By midway through the trip, they almost had a mutiny on their hands, people were so unhappy with the food. All the meat was overcooked. Selections were few and often odd: a pasta sauce with tuna in it. Macaroni and cheese with crab in it. Three nights in a row where the featured dinner item in the Buffet Restaurant was a slice of beef and Yorkshire pudding. I had it the first night, and other than being overcooked, it was ok, except my Yorkshire pudding was cold. But three nights in a row? There were very few vegetables available. My husband asked for double the veggies one night in the Dining Room. His plate arrived with two pieces of asparagus on it. I am not exaggerating. The menu one night in the buffet listed broccoli as the vegetable, but when you got there, the server said there was no broccoli, it had been replaced by asparagus, but the asparagus wasn't ready yet. Very strange on a ship where food is usually so amazing and also plentiful. My husband noted his eggs benedict had almost dangerously undercooked eggs one day, and did not eat them. The next day he asked the fellow at the egg station to cook the eggs much longer please...they were plated exactly as undercooked as the previous day, and so were also not edible. Very odd. They really need to do something about the food. We were in an Inside Cabin and as there were only two of us and we have experience unpacking in smaller cabin spaces, it was ok. But this was the smallest inside cabin we have ever seen. Very clean at all times, and an excellent cabin steward, so not really a complaint, just more of something to note, if considering booking an inside cabin. We love this itinerary and will do it again, but this will be our last HAL cruise. Back to Princess we go. Read Less

I chose the 27 day cruise to burn off vacation time and explore places I’ve never been. I don’t regret it at all. I travelled solo! Ship was clean and employees were organized. My cabin was immaculate and room stewards were attentive and pleasant. Dining room was awesome And organized from the matre’d to the waiter, busboy & supervisors. Staff were attentive and friendly. Food well displayed. Very appetizing and delicious. Entertainment was top notch and always a variety. All ports were new to me disembarking and returning to the ship was well organized and stress free. Shore excursions were exciting and the history of places were interesting. Captain and officers were professional and approachable. Everyone smiled and said hello. Spa was well organized and the employees were attentive. The acupuncturist was amazing I had several health issues including headaches, insomnia and pain for years and after a few treatments they were gone! Made my who trip worthwhile, thanks Dr Liu! Great cruise, ship & staff! Thanks to everyone from staff to other passengers. I’d definitely recommend and cruise with them again! I’d like to see them change the cabin cost for solo travellers from double occupancy to cabin rate + 25-50%. Just putting it out there... Thanks for the memories Holland America Eurodam! Read Less

Our ninth cruise first with holland america,cruised mainly celebrity and one cunard. The ship was consistantly cold rattled and vibrated non stop for the whole 3 weeks. First time i have had seasickness. 1 port in hawaii was cancelled due to weather, but 2 were cancelled in ensenada and victoria for maintenance ,trouble with an azipod ,was that why the ship continually vibrated. Only attended one enrichment lecture ghis was poorly presented with lighting on stage and poor speaker. Entertainment was badly lacking walking into bars at night about 9pm was like the marie celeste , there was o nly bartenders around. Billboard piano players were awful bland boring excrutiati g to listen to. Bb king club was lively music better but this was the same act every night for 20 days if you didnt like blues /motown you were unlucky. Lincoln centre was enjoyable if they were playing music you like but they had to cater for all the ship and was set up like a concert except it was open to one of the corridors and people talki g walking past. Mainstage had a few good acts( outstanding was benjamin makisi) ,if you were stood/ sat at back there was a lot of noise from billboard pianists though i supposd you got two concerts at same time. There was not a lot of dressing up even on gala nights a lot of guests looked scruffy. . Food was good , in main di ing room and lido buffet,wine choice on signature package was barely drinkable. I would not sail on the eurodam again even if i was offered it free. Read Less

We are loyal Holland American cruisers and within a few points of 4 star Mariners. This 28 day cruise was a great disappointment when it came to the quality of the food in the Lido and for the most part, the main dining room. We have been on the Eurodam before and just couldn't believe how poor the dining experience has become. We used the Lido for breakfast but nothing else and eventually gave up with the main dining room. To get around it we used the Pinacle for lunch and the other specialty restaurants when necessary. As usual the service in all areas was wonderful and the key that keeps us coming back to Holland America. There can be improvements with the availability of live entertainment and they have severely changed the Signature Beverage Package limiting the selections of beer and wine to the point that we probably will no longer purchase it on future cruises. This cruise was an eye opener for us and the cutbacks are now coming to the point where we will be reconsidering using Holland America in the future. There are many other cruise lines available and the quality of the Holland America staff can't continue to offset the recent cutbacks. If necessary they may need to increase prices, but leaving things as they are will be suicide. We intend to give Holland America one more try, but if improvements aren't made it will unfortunately be our last. Read Less

First time sailing with so many sea days. Little to nothing was planned as entertainment for days at sea. Fitness center was excellent. Hawaii was great, the excursions were awesome, whale watching and copter over the big island was great. Food was good, but portions were small and seconds cost $10. Beef Wellington came and I got the tip of the filet, smaller than a meatball. For dessert ordered ice cream, dish came and appeared to have scooped with a melon baller. New York Pizza had no prices, paid $28 for cardboard and ketchup. No on ship singers and dancers, report was they were cut to save money. One evening the entertainment was a movie you could see on BBC America. Room steward for good, if not a little over eager. Came several times at 6:00 PM for nighttime turn down when I was dressing for dinner. For the money, traveling as a single, I expected more and got less. Read Less

We've been on HAL before and we never had any issues. We chose this cruise as we have always enjoyed sea days, we like Hawaii and it was very easy for us as we departed and returned via our home port. The positives: Professional and helpful crew, including check-in personnel. Attractive public spaces including the main dining room, the theatre and the bars. The negatives: Cabin. Our cabin was a spa suite. The online description indicated a larger space. It was larger but otherwise, terrible. The furniture was worn out and frayed. The carpet had several large stains. The bathroom was the smallest we’ve ever had on our past 20 cruises (with various cruise companies). A tiny bathroom with one sink in a ‘suite,’ seriously? There was a large empty wall with four holes that were covered with tape. (We were told by our attendant that the space used to have a TV; when the TV was removed the holes were not patched.) The WORST part of the suite was that the very small balcony had a metal wall; you could only see the sea when you were standing. If you sat in one of the two chairs you were staring at a metal wall! HAL should have warned us when we booked this suite. Dining. The quality of the food was hit and miss. Some very good and some, yuk. When one of the four of us didn’t like a dish we were not asked by a waiter if we would like something else. One time we asked for another entrée and we were politely told that there would be a $10 charge for an additional entree! The waiter was not trying to scam us; that was on the bottom of the menu in small print. NEVER heard of paying for a second entrée on any other ship. I want to point out that the servers were very nice but it seemed like they were overworked; we could hardly get any assistance once our food was served. As an example, when I ordered hot tea I got the cup and the tea bag but could not find anyone to bring me hot water—this happened two evenings. In the buffet they were featuring seafood one day; we went to get some shrimp and the attendant would only give each of us six shrimp. If we wanted more we’d have to get back in the one long line. The Retreat. We decided to rent a cabana for the 17 days so that we could have a nice outdoor place to get away from the crowds. It was lovely and the service by the staff in the Retreat was very good. However, the maintenance and smells from that were over and over. After the third day of workers sanding, scraping, varnishing, etc. in the Retreat area we complained to guest services. We were assured that the workers would not be in our area again. WRONG. Two days later a worker was applying some type of sealant (identified by a ship’s officer) in the cabana next to us. No warning! All of us had to leave. Then on the next to the last day the cleaning crew was working on the deck immediately above the Retreat area and we got sprayed a few times by their water hose. Retribution? Who knows? Entertainment. On every cruise we’ve been on (same size ships) there has been some type of production show. Not on the Eurodam. One light show with dancers was very good. Otherwise really poor. For example; one show was animal video clips, ones we had seen at home on National Geographic, set to music. What? Showing stuff we’ve seen for free at home on our TV. That’s entertainment? I will say that a couple of singular entertainers were good; otherwise very disappointing. Read Less

We are a married couple in our 60's. This was our 17th cruise overall, but our first on Holland America. We were cruising with our regular cruise companions, another couple in their 60's. We have cruised on Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival in the past. We normally take cruises of 10-14 days so this 17 day cruise was our longest yet. Rating this cruise itself is difficult as it was a bust in that we only saw two of the five scheduled stops in Hawaii. This was mostly because of bad weather. So rather than focusing on the cruise we will provide our observations of Holland America in general. The Eurodam is a beautiful ship and the perfect size. The service was outstanding. The food was great. The entertainment was enjoyable. Embarkation and Debarkation were as easy as any ship on which we have traveled. Why then only three stars? Using a baseball analogy, it is widely accepted that many of the cruisers on Holland America recognize that they (we) are in at least the bottom half of the seventh inning in life. What we want to do with the last two innings is based on our individual prospective. The great majority of HA travelers are like travelers on the other lines we have been on only with a few more of life's scars. They want to have a good time, enjoy the scenery, the food, the drinks and everything else that can be found on a cruise ship. Life has been tougher on some than to others and HA seems to have experience dealing with those issues. This was scheduled to be a seventeen day round trip cruise from San Diego to the Hawaiian Islands with stops in Kona, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui and Hilo on the Big Island. Because of predicted bad weather the captain decided to by-pass Kona and head straight to Honolulu. When we arrived in Honolulu the wind was strong and all of the afternoon tours, including the luau's were cancelled. We were then told that because of bad weather predicted for Kauai (they suffered a severe storm) we would not go there. When the weather forecast did not improve we were told we would be staying in Honolulu an extra day and then return to Kona the following day. This meant that Lahaina, Maui would be taken off our schedule. No excursions were available through the ship for the second day in Honolulu so everyone was on their own. The following day we arrived in Kona, a port where the ship's tenders are needed to go ashore. We did not drop anchor. Even though the seas looked calm to most with no white-caps to be seen anywhere, the captain decided the harbor was too dangerous to transport people on the tenders. As fairly seasoned cruisers we realized that we had been in tenders in much worse than we were witnessing in Kona and that got us thinking as to why that decision was made. Our reasoning is that because we were traveling with so many people with considerable life issues it would be impractical, if not impossible, to transport all those people safely with the crew that was available to assist them. Therefore, we lost our third port and we headed back out for another sea day. We have been on cruises where ports were missed and we understand that is always a possibility. What made this tough for us this time was that in lieu of going to Kona or Maui as scheduled the cruise director suggested people could gather for a game of CHECKERS in one of the lounges! When we arrived in Hilo for a last possible Hawaiian stop the gangway was not put into position at the designated time. The captain advised us that because of rough water the gangway was not holding steady and a safe walk off the ship may not be possible. He was assessing the situation. I think he may have heard the mumblings of the several hundred of us who had gathered in the atrium and the gangway was opened shortly thereafter. We had a great day in Hilo doing a private tour with a company known as Big Island Aina Tours that we HIGHLY RECOMMEND. We spent the next six days sailing back to Ensenada, Mexico and then on to San Diego for debarkation. While the cruise was not what we had planned or hoped for, we still had a great time. (If you can't enjoy yourself on a cruise ship chances are pretty good that you can't enjoy yourself). Getting back to that baseball analogy: If you are a person who enjoys some of the finer things in life and just wants to live with grace and dignity during the last few innings you can have a really nice time on Holland America. You can't beat the service or the food. But, if you have the problem we have in that you still live with the allusion that there may be at least one more headfirst slide into home left in you (albeit in slow motion), HA may not be the place for you. Read Less

We chose this cruise to go to Hawaii Round trip from San Diego. We have been on 3 prior HA cruises and enjoyed ourselves. We booked the cruise a year earlier and friends cruised on the Eurodam last August with no issues. We were not informed of any of the following money saving changes: No singers and dancers and orchestra, 5 piece band replaced. Entertainers, comedians, singer, musician were good. Dancers to light show with recorded music also was entertaining. A repeat of the show a second night was a waste, as was showing a movie. Numerous changes in the Dining room resulted in smaller portions, fewer choices, $10 charge if you wanted a second entre at lunch or dinner. No bread basket at breakfast. Both the card room and game room were rented out to Quilters for the entire cruise. No Bridge director. No Art Auction Dining Room closed for lunch on at least 4 of the last 5 sea days. Stores were taken over by high end merchandise: no small souvenirs. Very friendly staff and great cruisers. Read Less

We chose this cruise because being HAL Past Guests (Mariners) we received a promotion that we could not let pass, as this cruise was on our bucket list. This was our 17th cruise overall, our first one being on our honeymoon 47 years ago. We have cruised on Costa Line (honeymoon in 1972 and Mediterranean in 1991); Carnival, Celebrity and HAL. As seasoned cruisers, we have developed expectations as to our experiences on board. I will be basing this review on whether our expectations were met on this cruise. We flew to San Diego from San Antonio, TX (direct flight on Southwest). We had arranged transfer through HAL. The transfer service was efficient and personnel were friendly. I highly recommend arranging a transfer ahead of time. Embarkation went smoothly. The only glitch was that we had Priority Embarkation and although our bags were tagged as such, we did not receive our luggage until 4pm. The Eurodam is a beautiful ship, with understated elegance. The five days at sea were fantastic. The activities during the day were well planned. There was something for everybody. Kudos to the activities director! Sometimes we had trouble deciding what to do because of the amount of varied activities offered.Our favorite activities were the talks in the theater about Hawaiian history, given by a Hawaiian with so much knowledge about his land! There were Hawaiian ambassadors on board (as well as on the 5 days at sea returning to San Diego) who provided their personal insight in the history and culture of Hawaii. We learned the Hawaiian alphabet, there were hula and ukulele classes, classes to make leis and kukui bead bracelets, sunset celebrations with chants, beautiful and authentic hula dancing and sing alongs. These were fabulous. We felt like we were in Hawaii since Day One. I praised and thanked the Port Guides and the ambassadors for giving us this unique experience. One thing they told us that if we liked the experience we need to let HAL know, because with budget cuts this program might cease. I made sure to let HAL know that this a must. As long as I am talking about entertainment, let me talk about the evening events. In the evenings there was a pianist in the Ocean Bar (5pm to 7:45pm). If you wanted to dance you could, in a dance floor big enough for perhaps three couples, but the music, although good, was mainly for entertainment. Then there was the 'B B King Lounge', (3 shows nightly, one hour each), with jazz and blues, and themed music. The dance floor here is fairly comfortable, but the seats on the main floor and in the bar area fill up quickly. This was the only venue conducive to dancing. 'Billboards on Board' are two pianists on two pianos, singing and encouraging sing-alongs. This was fun. They had 3 shows nightly, each one one hour long. They had themed nights and took requests and were very popular. They are not HAL employees. Apparently they are contracted, although there is a Billboards Bar with HAL bar staff. But, no dancing here. For us, a highlight was the 'Lincoln Center Stage', a partnership between HAL and the 'Lincoln Center'. There is a strings quintet who give 3 performances, one in the afternoon and two in the evenings. As the cruise went on they were performing to Standing Room Only crowds. They are classically trained musicians with a varied repertoire, from chamber music to popular songs, arranged especially for them. We always went to the shows before and after dinner. They are a treasure, and HAL should feel proud of having this partnership. The musicians are provided by the Lincoln Center, they are not HAL employees. Contrary to daytime, there is a lack of variety and originality at night. Other than the theater shows, this was it for the evenings, unless you are a gambler (we are not), the "Sip and Savor' and Sampling events for a fee, (another way to get your money), the Jewelry shops spotlights, and.....Bingo. As for the theater shows: there are no more review shows with dancers and singers in HAL. This was a big disappointment. The shows were generally good though. There were two comedians, both hilarious; a magician/comedian who was excellent; a pianist/comedian, very talented and funny; a clarinetist and a guitarist (both talented but more suitable to a lounge venue than a theater); an Australian singer with an amazing range of voice. Our very favorite were 'The Alley Cats', a Doo Wop quartet that are bringing back the a-capella singing with that 50's feel. They are beyond fabulous. Think 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight', 'Goodnight Sweetheart' and you get the idea. They brought the house down. There was also the BBC Planet Earth with live musicians. This is thrilling. The night the Philippines crew did their authentic show, there was not an empty seat in the house. Having said that, the 'show' one evening was a movie we could have watched in our rooms. Thumbs down on this one. One show that was fantastic, and not to be missed is "Humanity" by Step One Dance Company. This blew our minds. Although the majority of the acts were great, many comments were heard, as well as the Cruise Director being asked about the lack of the review shows. Is HAL trying to save money by cutting the review shows? Service around the ship was excellent, meeting our expectations. The only draw back was that whenever we asked for a glass of water at a bar or the theater, we were either ignored or served with reluctance. I know there is no remuneration for water, but we are paying guests and if we want water we should get it without reservations. If we ordered cocktails or wine, there was no problem. Our cabin steward exceeded our expectations. He made sure our flowers were fresh and the fruit replenished. He noticed my husband had a mild cold, so he brought us extra tissues so we had them anywhere in the cabin. He was attentive and caring. Dining: we had Open Seating. The first night service was horrible. The assistant waiter came and served water and gave us the menu. Did not say Good Night or greet us in any way. Then the head waiter came with his notepad ready and without introducing himself he asked for our order. My husband ordered steak and had to ask for a steak knife. One of the assistant waiters was talking to someone on the other side of the half wall dividing our section from the one on a level one step above. He was joking and yelling right behind us. This is not right. Our experience was not what we are accustomed on a cruise. When we made reservations for subsequent nights we were specific not to seat us at that table or his section. We found a good team and asked to stay with them if possible. We did and were very happy with them, as expected. Food was hit and miss, but overall good. Be aware that HAL is now charging a $10 surcharge if you order a second entree. This does not apply to appetizers, salads or soups, or desserts, just entrees. They also charge $20 surcharge for lobster. We ate at the four Specialty Restaurants: Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Canaletto, and Rudi's. Rudi's is the Pinnacle Grill transformed into a Chef Rudi restaurant with his recipes and ambiance. They were all a delight, with superb service and amazing food. Also, because of the Neptune Suite, we could have breakfast at the Pinnacle Grill (included). Fabulous service and a great menu. We did this on sea days. The Photo Shop has not gone electronic. No more looking through thousands of photos to find yours, and then see hundreds thrown away. This is fantastic! I gave kudos to the staff. You insert your card in a computer and through a face-recognition program the computer finds your photos and you buy them as if you were buying from home online. Shore excursions: varied and well planned. The excursions followed the descriptions in the brochure. These are the excursions we took: Honolulu: Pearl Harbor and the Mighty Missouri. This is a must if you like history and this is your first visit to Hawaii. The "gangway" to the Arizona Memorial is damaged and unsteady so we did not go inside the Memorial. We knew this so it did not catch us by surprise. You are standing right in front of Battleship Row, where everything happened. Goose bumps! They showed a movie that was informative and poignant so we did not feel like we had missed much by not visiting the actual Memorial. Then we boarded a Navy launch to go the Missouri. On the ride we took great photos of the Arizona Memorial and the other markers. The Missouri is impressive. Standing there where the Japanese surrender actually happened was exciting to say the least. We also went to the Punchbowl, the National Pacific Cemetery, and saw highlights of Honolulu including the King Kamahameha statue and the Iiolani Palace (photos only.) We still had time to go to a Luau. We thought about booking on our own, but the logistics of getting there and back were too risky, so we booked it with HAL. It was fun, food was great, seeing how they prepare the Kahlua Pork was interesting. I tried poi (my husband did not). I leave it up to you to decide if you like it or not, but it is something worth trying if you are in Hawaii. The show was colorful and pretty, but the audience participation got to be too much. Overall, it was fun. Kauai: we took a helicopter ride. This one we booked on our own. We read the reviews from the rides booked thru HAL and were not impressed. We booked Jack Harter Helicopters and cannot say enough about them. They were efficient throughout the process and answered all our questions before we got there. They picked us up at the pier. The ride was the most thrilling thing we have done in a long time. There are places in Kauai that are only seen from the air. We were not disappointed. This was a 65 minute ride, compared to 45 minutes with the HAL excursion. Highly recommend Jack Harter. (The helicopter views in Jurassic Park are in Kauai as well as in Maui.) Their driver took us back to town, which is within walking distance from the ship. We had a delicious lunch overlooking the ocean. Maui: Road to Hana. Reviews said this was an unpaved, windy road. It is now paved. There are many curves and bridges but the guide was so informative, and he made so many frequent stops that the time went fast. Scenery is gorgeous. The water falls are numerous and beautiful. We had lunch at Waianapanapa State Park, at the Honokalali beach, a unique black sand beach. Spectacular! We ate coconut ice cream, freshly made, and went to Ho'okipa beach to see leatherback turtles. This was a fun and informative excursion. Kona, Big Island: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Due to the recent eruption, most of the park was closed, as was the Thurston Lava Tube, but we were able to walk on lava fields from an 1868 eruption and learn everything about lava and volcanoes. The Kohala Coast gives amazing views. The Coffee Plantation is beautiful and Kona Coffee is fabulous. Try the apple bananas. The Punalu'u Bake Shop is a delicious stop. Our guide was fantastic. Hilo, Big Island: Historical Hilo and Akaka Falls. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. He moved to Hilo from Minnesota 22 years ago and does not regret it. Hilo is beautiful, full of history. We stopped at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. There are the plain salted macadamias and macadamias covered in every kind of goodies. Their shop is very pretty. Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls are spectacular. The Lyman Museum and Mission House are very informative. Ensenada, Mexico: Bufadora Adventure. Bufadora is a specatacular blowhole, one of the biggest in the world. You have about an hour and a half in the Bufadora area. You walk about 20 minutes through a long street full of vendors of every kind. They will offer samples of margaritas, piña coladas, they will entice you to go to their shops. I suggest that unless you want to spend your time with one of them, say "No thank you"and keep walking. The blowhole's peak time is at high tide. We got there at low tide and the seas were calm. We waited patiently and saw quite a few big sprays, about 30 ft high. The spray can go 60-100 ft in the air with the right conditions. Our guide told us the best times are Nov to May. She was fantastic. We experienced a traffic jam going back but we were all in a good mood. Our last stop was an old hacienda that is now an activities center, and tried a margarita at the spot where the margaritas were invented. The story is fascinating. At the end of the tour we asked our guide where we could have fresh lobster and she recommended a restaurant that was a bit hard to find but worth it. The port guides on the ship give suggestions as well. Calle Primera (main street) is very picturesque and the break water (malecón in Spanish) is absolutely beautiful. Debarkation was smooth. no problems. Back in San Diego, we took the pre-arranged transfer to the airport. Read Less

The Holland America Eurodam is as old-fashioned a cruise ship as they come--with 3 "gala" nights with quite a few tuxedos in evidence on a 17-night cruise, with the towel animals and the chocolate buffet if you want them, and with mostly senior cruisers at this time of year and on a cruise this length. But for those with a love of old-style cruising, the itineraries and the value really can't be beat. The Eurodam loses points for an interminably long line for check-in in San Diego (disembarkation was much more efficient) and for virtually no welcoming ritual (no champagne) but after that initial disappointment, what's not to like? Excellent food in the dining room and, for an extra price, at Tamarind, the Asian-fusion specialty restaurant--and good food, too, and lots of choices in the Lido buffet (once you figure out the times to come so you don't have to search relentlessly for an empty table). The staff is mostly Filipino and Indonesian and always smiling and eager to please; what pleased us most is that they truly seemed to be enjoying themselves and each other and took much pride in whatever task they took on. The public areas have recently been renovated are are quite glamorous--and we appreciated the vintage cruise ship photographs on the walls, the tasteful art (especially the stunning Bas Sebus print in our verandah cabin), and the many musical choices for listening. This wasn't a cruise of fervent dancers, but we could have danced every night ("Mustang Sally" to "Uptown Funk") at the fabulous BB King Blues Club. Our favorite things about this cruise were the two astonishing dance and light show performances by One Step Dance Company, truly, the most spectacular productions we've seen in more than 15 cruises and the superb culinary talks/demonstrations by the American Test Kitchen host Annette. No alcohol, or even bottled water, is included so bar tabs can quickly mount, but if you only want a glass or two of wine at dinner, drinks by the glass are probably the way to go. We signed up for free-style dining and, once we learned the right time to come, never had to wait for a table for two. This was a truly enjoyable, relaxing--and delicious--time. And we loved all those sea days! Read Less

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Due to poor weather conditions the cruise missed 3 ports (Maui, Kona, Kuai) and left us onboard with no planned activities. No special rewards for our disappointment. The cabin was nice and the ship clean but due to the fact we were stuck onboard there was a lot of sickness and coughing. We made port in Honolulu but were there for 2 days. The service and food were very good but the entertainment was ok and the shows were only 45 minutes in length. Our shore excursions had to be canceled due to the fact that we never made it into the 3 (in my opinion) more important ports. The cruise line offerer a small refund of $100.00 per person for our trouble and disappointment. I would also recommend travel insurance for cases like this. The medical staff was good but the charges were extreme. We would NEVER sail for that long on open water with no ports for that long. Disembarking was chaotic and a possible dangerous situation. Read Less